𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑑, 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑤ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠

chapter twenty seven. yapping

The air tastes like dust as Hope holds Jace up while they make their way through the portal with Clary behind them, the pink and purple magic fading behind her. Hope takes in a deep breath when Jace falls down on his knees beside her, his body hitting the ground with a thud.

"Jace," Hope falls down beside him as she pulls him up, he pulls out his steele and runs it over a rune as she watches, her eyes gentle on him. She holds her breath until he turns to her. "Watch out, I might start to think you care." he chuckles and she pushes him away from her, if he's fine enough to make bad jokes then he's fine.

"Where are we?" Clary looks down at the two.

"Wasn't this portal supposed to take us to your dad?" Jace ponders out loud when Hope helps him up, her hand on his upper arm. She pulls away and he turns to her, "This looks like the place your dad would hang out in."

"Ew."

"Wait," Hope holds her hand on Clary's arm as she takes a step towards the closet in the corner of the room. She passes both Clary and Jace when the sound returns.

Hope looks over her shoulder for a second before she pulls on the door handle. It opens with ease and Hope's eyes fall down to the man that sits on the floor, the man with dirty blonde hair and worn out clothes who covers his face when he feels the door open like a soldier jumping when they hear a gun go off even years after the war.

"Hey don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." she holds up her hands, they're stained with blood but even now it's the only thing Clary finds herself reaching for.

The man uncovers his face, shock finding a new home on it, "Jace." his voice is rough and Hope can feel Jace pull back from behind her. "Do you know him?" Clary turns to him, her head hovering above Hope's shoulder.

"He's my dad."

"Tea." Hope whispers to Clary. Her friend shakes her head, "Not the time." she mumbles and Hope nods to her.

"Dad?" Jace's voice goes airy when he talks, "Son." his father takes him into his grasp, "Oh Jace." he holds the boy close as Hope and Clary watch.

"You're dead. Valentine killed you, Valentine's here." Jace tries to get focused but he looks at his father and loses his concentration. "No, Jace it's me." he swears as Jace nods, tears wet in his eyes.

"I'm Michael Wayland, Jace's father." the man turns to Clary and Hope as the blonde girl pulls Clary back. "I've been here for ten years, Valentine took off and just left me here." Michael explains, slightly out of breath.

"And Jocelyn Fairchild?" Clary pipes up from behind Hope. "He took her with him, and you two are?"

"Clary, her daughter."

"Hope Mikaelson."

"Mikaelson? Klaus' daughter?" Michael asks and Hope nods, she really wasn't in the mood for another i knew your dad story.

"When I knew him-" before he can start his story, Jace collapses but Hope snakes an arm around his waist, pulling him up. "It's Ravener venom, he kept saying he was fine." Clary watches as Hope bites into her wrist, holding it out but Jace turns his head.

"I'm fine." he swears and she presses her wrist against his mouth, forcing the blood down his throat. "You're going to be fine." Hope looked into his eyes, shades of blue clashing against one another.

When he swallows the blood, Jace grows weaker as Hope's grip on him tightens. "We have to get out of here. Here's a portal here somewhere." Michael starts,

"Let me help you." He reaches for Jace but Hope pulls him back. "I'm fine." she wraps his arm around her shoulder as they keep walking.

"You're going to be fine. Stay with me." Jace's dad makes him face him. "Remember our first demon fight? We were way past the Institute, way up to Kinshasa. You were only eight but you were so brave." he rests his hand on Jace's chest, over his heart.